Saving Calculator

Every hour your truck idles, it’s burning money. An empty semi-truck can consume 0.64 gallons of diesel per hour when idle, and with a load, it’s up to 1.38 gallons per hour. Across the U.S., this adds up to 1 billion gallons of fuel wasted annually, costing $3.8 billion. Cutting Idle Time Means Big Savings: Our ROI calculator uses an average of 0.98 gallons per hour—the rate for a brand new truck with no engine issues—to help you see your potential savings. Reducing idling is like giving yourself a raise. Use the calculator, built with data from Argonne and the U.S. Department of Energy, to discover how cutting back idle time puts more cash in your pocket and reduces trips to the pump.

Why Idling is Bad for Your Engine: Idling might seem harmless, but it can significantly damage your truck's engine over time. According to Popular Mechanics, idling strips oil away from critical engine components like pistons and cylinders, causing premature wear. Modern engines rely on sensors to regulate fuel consumption, but idling doesn’t heat the engine enough for these sensors to function properly, leading to a fuel-to-air ratio that's too rich. This causes excess fuel to wash away the lubricating oil on the piston rings and cylinder liners, drastically reducing their lifespan. Idling is Like Adding Miles Without Moving: Every hour your truck idles, it’s like adding “idling miles” to your vehicle—wear that’s not reflected on the odometer but still impacts your engine’s health. This invisible mileage causes wear and tear equivalent to driving, even when your truck is stationary. Hidden Maintenance Costs of Idling: • Oil Changes: Idling adds significant engine wear that’s not accounted for if you only change oil based on driven miles. Ignoring idling miles means your engine oil isn’t changed often enough, leading to reduced engine performance and longevity. • Air Filter Replacements: Increased engine wear from idling requires more frequent air filter changes to prevent debris buildup, which can further damage the engine. • DPF Filter Cleaning: Diesel particulate filters (DPF) trap harmful soot and need regular cleaning. Excessive idling clogs these filters faster, leading to costly maintenance and downtime. Failing to account for idling wear can result in costly repairs down the road. Our ROI calculator helps you understand how reducing idling can save you money on maintenance, protect your engine, and keep your truck running smoother for longer.

How many miles will you put on your truck before selling it? Idling affects these crucial decisions. Depreciation depends on factors like engine miles, maintenance records, and overall truck condition. Every hour of idling adds hidden engine hours that wear down your truck without adding visible miles, lowering its resale value. The average new truck costs $139,000 (as of August 2024), and Owner-Operators typically retire their trucks at 1,000,000 miles, while fleets do so at 350,000 miles. Idling Depreciation Affects Your Truck’s Value: Dealerships factor idling depreciation into their pricing formulas, directly impacting the offer you get for your truck. However, by using an epu™, you can eliminate idling depreciation, adding value to your vehicle and preserving its worth. Use our ROI calculator to see how reducing idle time boosts your truck’s value.